Left Out

So you think its tough to find a good selection of clubs when you’re a lefty? Try being a left-handed woman.

Demo days at the local driving range meant that I could maybe try King Cobra and that was about it. They seemed to be the only manufacturer that would consistently have these hard-to-find ladies lefty clubs in my area. Even the local Golfsmith and Roger Dunn had limited, if any, to try out.

My Grandfather’s passing meant that I had my first set of clubs. He was also a lefty but his bag was probably older than I am. The irons are nearly impossible to hit and I think the woods are really made of wood! There was no driver, but a 1-wood in its place. From there, I moved on to a smattering of clubs I found all over. Some were ladies, some not. I had a potpourri of new and used that were inexpensive so that I could learn with them. After a year’s worth of lessons, I moved up to a new set of irons. King Cobra, of course, but men’s senior flex with the graphite shaft. These were great for a few months, but I quickly became better than they were. You see, after spending thousands of dollars in lessons and hundreds of hours at the range, it turned out I could actually hit the ball. I remember going to another demo day and hitting a ladies driver. The club felt like spaghetti to me. It was time to move on.

I found my current set by accident while on a trip to Las Vegas. I was hitting some balls at the Callaway Center range and the club fitting expert took the time to try out several different irons with me. Sure enough, I didn’t need ladies or senior clubs. Men’s regular flex worked just fine. In fact, since I have a decent swing I actually hit the ball farther and with more control. It really is amazing what happens when you have the right clubs! I now use Callaway X18 steel shaft irons and they work just fine for me.

The moral of the story? First off, get fitted by an expert that takes the time to try out many styles with you. More importantly, just because you are a woman doesn’t mean you need women’s clubs. Take this into account especially if you are taller or more experienced. For example, why would a 5’5″ man use men’s clubs and a 5’10” woman not? Women’s clubs are usually shorter in overall length so this is not always ideal, depending on your level of play. In addition, if you’re left-handed you’ll have a few more options if you can hit men’s clubs. I still don’t get to try every new club when I check out demo days but there are more choices than I had before.

Members’ Choice: The top-5 drivers that golfers want to test in 2018

Golf’s “off-season” is upon us and the PGAM Show in Orlando is quickly approaching in January, which means it’s time to start thinking about the upcoming driver releases.

We’ve seen a few companies launch their “2018” lines already — such as Cobra with its new King F8 and F8+ — while speculation swirls around the companies who have yet to announce their newest products. For instance, we’ve spotted a new “TaylorMade M4″ driver, and a new “Rogue” driver from Callaway. If history repeats itself and Titleist remains on a two-year product cycle, then we’ll see a replacement for the 917 line sometime in 2018, as well.

The question we posed to our GolfWRX Members recently was, which new or unreleased driver has you most excited heading into 2018? Below are the results and a selection of comments about each driver.

Note: The comments below have been minimally edited for brevity and grammar.

Titleist (7.39 percent of votes)

BDoubleG: I know it’s well down the road, but the Titleist 919 is what I’m most looking forward to. I played the 910 until this year and loved it, but I realized that I wasn’t getting much in the way of distance gains with the 915/917, and I was just leaving too many yards on the table. I know it’s a cliche, but I was seeing considerable gains with my G400LS, then my M2 I have now.

I feel like Titleist has been hurting in the driver market share category (and probably elsewhere), as I think a lot of people think that the 913, 915 and 917 have been minor refreshes in a world where almost everyone else has been experimenting with structure (jailbreak, turbulators) or with COG (spaceports, SLDR, G-series extreme back CG). I think if Titleist is going to recapture some of their market share, they will need to start taking an interest in stepping outside of their comfort zone to catch up with everyone else. Maybe I’m hoping for too much, but a D2-style head with ample forgiveness and low-spin (maybe a back-front weight), with the same great sound of the 917, and hopefully getting rid of the “battery taped to the sole” look would be a huge hit in my book.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what they come up with…and I hope I’m not disappointed.

Mizuno GT-180 or otherwise (8.87 percent of votes)

mrmikeac: After thoroughly testing the Mizuno ST-180 and seeing the distance gains I was getting from my Epic, I can’t wait for the GT to get here. Cobra would be next in line for me, but Mizzy really did something special with that JPX-900 and it seems to look like they’re going the same route with these drivers. Excellent feel, forgiveness and simple but effective tech.

Callaway Rogue, Rogue Sub Zero or otherwise (17.73 percent of votes)

cvhookem63: It seems like we’re not getting a lot of “NEW” this time — just some same lines “improved” on a little. I’m interested to try the Rogue line and M3/M4 line to see if they improved on their previous models. The Cobra F8+ is intriguing to me, as well. I’d like to compare those three to see how they stack up.

True Linkswear goes back to its spikeless roots

True Linkswear is getting back to its roots, while expanding the singular golf shoe brand’s reach at the same time.

The Tacoma, Washington, company’s Director/Partner, Justin Turner, told us that with the release of the two new models, the company is course-correcting from a move toward the mainstream, spiked golf shoes, and a loss of identity.

In addition to durability issues, Turner said the core True Linkswear customer didn’t appreciate the shift — or the deluge of models that followed.

So, in a sense, the two-model lineup both throws a bone to True devotees and casts a wider net.

Turner and company asked: “If we wanted to restart the brand….what would we value?” A commitment to the brand’s core outsider identity, style as articulated in early models, and an emphasis on quality led Turner on multiple trips to China to survey suppliers in early 2017. Eventually, the company settled on a manufacturing partner with a background in outdoor gear and hiking shoes.

“We’ve spent the last few years scouring the globe for the best material sourcing, reputable factories, advanced construction techniques, and time-tested fundamentals to build our best shoes yet. No cheap synthetics, no corners cut.”

Eventually, True settled on two designs: The Original, which, not surprisingly, has much in common with the zero-drop 2009 industry disrupting model, and the Outsider: a more athletic-style shoe positioned to attract a broader audience.

True Linkswear Original: $149

The company emphasizes the similarity in feel between the Original and early True Linkswear models, suggesting that players will feel and connect to the course “in a whole new way.”

Gray, White, Black colorways

Waterproof full grain leather

Thin sole with classic True zero-drop heel

12.1 oz

Sockfit liner for comfort

Natural width box toe

True Linkswear Outsider: $169

With the Outsider, True Linkswear asked: “What if a golf shoe could be more? Look natural in more environments?”

Grey/navy, black, white colorways

EVA midsole for lightweight cushioning

Full grain waterproof leather

13.1 oz (thicker midsole than the Original)

The company envisions both shoes being worn on course and off.

True Linkswear introduced the more durable and better-performing Cross Life Tread with both models. Turner says the tread is so good, you can wear the shoes hiking.

The team of Steve Stricker and Sean O’Hair closed the QBE Shootout with an 8-under 64 for a two-shot win over Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry. O’Hair made a timely eagle on the par-5 17th hole at Tiburon Golf Club to lock up the first place prize of $820,000 ($410,000 each).

Note: We originally reported Stricker had a Scotty Cameron putter in the bag, per Titleist’s equipment report. Stricker did, however, have a Odyssey White Hot putter in play during the final round of the QBE Shootout.